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SL remembers Marv VandenBosch

Marv VandenBosch - king of the roundtable at a local coffee shop and a vocal leader on Village and Township boards and commissions - died Thursday night after a brief illness.

Marie Havenga

Spring Lake

Aug 18, 2012

VandenBosch, 68, was a lifelong Village resident and current councilman.

“You just still expect him to come walking in the back door,” Idle Hour Restaurant owner Kathy Harris said. “He was here every day, twice a day. He's been coming here since 1965.”

Harris said she would often overhear VandenBosch talking about village issues at the Savidge Street restaurant. Other frequent topics included his Lakeside Towing business, which he operated in the Village for 38 years, and his beloved dogs.

Every day during the summer, he would order strawberry shortcake for lunch, Harris recalled.

“He was so ... ,” Harris paused, composing her thoughts. “He was Marv. He was a presence when he walked into the room. He could be real grumpy and controversial, but yet he'd probably do anything for anybody.”

VandenBosch, a former Spring Lake Village police officer, served on the Village Planning Commission since it's inception in 1987 and also served on the Spring Lake Township Board and numerous committees. He is a past president of the Spring Lake Heritage Festival committee.

VandenBosch was an avid local history buff and took pride in the Village. He frequently used the phrase “I've lived in the Village my whole life...” when talking about a public issue.

Former Village President Bill Filber served with VandenBosch for 10 years when VandenBosch was chairman of the planning commission. Filber also presided over council when VandenBosch was elected in 2009.

“He was very assertive,” Filber said Friday. “I told him I wish I could have a fifth of his assertiveness. When he had in mind something he wanted to accomplish, you better hope you weren't in his way. He was that determined in getting things done. That's one of the things I admired about him. When he had a goal in mind, he would go full-tilt getting it done. He'd aim toward that target and goal and go for it.”

Filber and VandenBosch would sometimes disagree on issues during council meetings, but the former president said he knows VandenBosch was doing what he thought was right for residents.

“I know for a fact he always had what was in the best interest of the Village in mind,” Filber said. “We just had different ways of accomplishing things.”

Current Village President Jim MacLachlan praised VandenBosch for his service to the community.

“Marv was a dedicated and knowledgeable public servant,” he said. “His contributions to the village will be sorely missed. His many hours of volunteer service on committees and boards helped to make our community a better place. We will miss him.”

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Spring Lake Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dan Anderson officiating. Interment will be Spring Lake Cemetery.

Family will greet friends and relatives from 2-7 p.m. Sunday at Klaassen Family Funeral Home. Memorial Contributions may be given to Harbor Humane Society or Love INC.